Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-08
HELEN.

None of the neighbors knew anything
definite about her except that she was an
English woman. One woman, a good
motherly old lady, with a weakness, per
haps, for gossip, and whose windows
looked into Miss Marsden's, was deter
mined to get acquainted with her.
It was in vain that Miss Marsden,
shrinking and timid as a sensitive plant,
tried to withdraw from this homely hos
pitality. Mrs. Saunders was a woman
accustomed to manage others and have
her own way, and she would not be de-
nied-Miss Marsden must go over and
spend the evening with her; and Miss
Marsden at last with a deep drawn sigh
of resignation, put aside her palette and
brushes, smoothed her bach curls, took
off the loose linen wrapper that she wore
at her work, and went over to Mrs. Saun-
ders in the plain worn black dress in
which she constantly appeared.
After the first evening, with its half
conscious restraint, was over, and the ice
a little broken, Miss Marsden often found
her way to the same friendly drawing
room, and drank tea, did her best to rel
ish the buttered toast and the little piles
of cakes, and grew really to like the old
Iady's shrewd and sensible talk, which was
never prosy, and sometimes full of inter
est, especially when it diverged, as 1t
often did, to her own experiences, to the
habits and customs of her youth, and to
events which took place when her pensive
listener was only baby in arms.
Mrs. Saunders history was common
place one, full of simple pleasures, sim
pie trials and a safe and guarded pros
perity. The cup was full, but it did not
overflow; Ror did the widow wish that
rod tn oil
the garrulity of old age, she soon made
her silent companion mistress of all her
past. In the course of one or two even
ings Helen Marsden knew how and where
and when the late lamented Mr.. Saunders
had died, of the will he had made, the
property he had left, and the amount of
forttae which Janet, the widows only
chilly had brought to her lord and master
IisSsperous merchant in Calcutta.
Nex16ame detailed and minute account
of Janet's trousseau; and then, parenthe-
tically, the widow remarked there was
something very romantic in her daugh-
ter's engagement and marriage. Her
lover was much older than she was, and
grave, staid reserved man, too. He fell
In love with Janet, a laughing school
girl, less for herelf, it almost seemed
than because he fancied she was like some
one whom he had once known long be-
fore-some one whom he had loved and
lost and whom he fancied he saw resas-
citated in the smiling Edinburgh school
girl.
81 would not have had such poor,
second rate love if it had been me-" said
Mrs. Saunders, almost Grossly.
She was searching for something IN
the hooks and corners of large work
table, and when she found it she put it
down before her visitor with an abrupt
ness that startled her.
"There-that is Janet!" she said.
It was the portrait of pale, dark eyed
laughing girl-much such a girl as Miss
Marsden herself might once have been
perhaps, when her pale cheeks had more
of roundness and softness in their out
line; when her grave mouth, SO straight
now, had a pouting smile Of its own, and
the sad eyes were merry and bright.
"Well, what do you think of herr" ask
ed Mrs. Saunders.
With a slight expression of interest,
and the faintest possible tinge of color in
her pale cheeks, she took up the minia-
ture again and looked at it.
81 think" she said, "that it is like my
own face, only far, far prettier."
no" declared the old lady emphati-
was very we'll in her gay. And now, as
my old eyes are getting dim, will you
read me her last letter, my dear?"
Miss Marsden piled. She had felt
those long letters which had to be read
and reread so often quite an infection at
first, and then she had come to take a
strange interest in them, and IN the
Scotch girl on the banks of the Hooghly,
so far from her kith and kin, and pining
IN her luxurious home, longing to win for
herself the first place in a preoccupled
heart-not happy, but very brave and I'M
complaining, never murmurlng at the
burden which she had rashly taken upon
herself, but striving to bear 1t meekly,
and above all, to prevent it from over
shadowing and crushing her mother.
This unknown Janet, whose silks and sat
ms, whose laces and jewels, had at first
seemed so contemplate in Helen Mars
denis eyes when placed by the side of her
own earnest hard working life. was, after
all. a sorrowful, self-sacrihcing woman
much as she had been Notwithstanding
and hiding under a smile her disappoint-
ment and anguish lest they should pain
the fond, faithful heart of the old mother
at home.
eve shall have longer letter by the
next mail, am sure" Miss Marsden had
said: and Mrs. Saunders, whether she
quite shared in the expectation or not,
was comforted by the words, and took a
melancholy pleasure, in the hushed twi-
light in the spring evenings, in telling
her companion all the sorrowful tales she
could remember.
At last the eagerly expected mail ar
rived, bringing mournful news for the
poor old lady-Janet was dead, and
Janet's child in charge of an ayah, was
coming home to her mother, to be cared
for as lovingly and tenderly as Janet had
been. Sitting in her armchair, Mrs. Saun-
ders cried softly to herself, but with no
frantic despair in her heart.
Thus the time sped on, through the